Contacting the Office:
Julie Morin, Acting Native American Specialist
e-mail: Julie_Morin@fws.gov
BHW Federal Building
One Federal Drive
Fort Snelling, MN 55111
Phone: 612-713-5108
Fax: 612-713-5280
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Return to Tribal Grants Main Page
2006 Tribal
Landowner Incentive Grants Program
$148,088
Increasing the Red Cliff Natural Resources Department Capacity through the
Procurement and Operation of a Research Vessel
Matt Symbal – 715-799-3750
Accomplishments
2001
Zebra Mussel Monitoring Completed in Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior
The Chequamegon Bay Zebra Mussel Task Force
completed this year's zebra mussel monitoring efforts in Wisconsin's Chequamegon
Bay area of Lake Superior November 1, 2001. Twenty one of 41 adult zebra
mussel monitoring devices were set and checked by staff from the Ashland
Fishery Resources Office. Tribal Natural Resources Departments from Bad
River and Red Cliff set and checked 14 and six devices respectively. The
devices were set in July, checked at least monthly, and lifted in October.
Locations included recreational and commercial boat docks, industrial areas,
and tributaries. Areas monitored included Chequamegon Bay, Madeline Island,
and near shore Lake Superior from the Sand River to the Bad River, a shoreline
distance of more than 100 km. A total of six plankton tows were also completed
during the period to check for the presence of veligers. The veliger tows
were taken in the Ashland and Washburn harbors. On Sept. 4, one dead adult
zebra mussel was discovered on a sampler near the discharge area of the
Northern States Power facility. No other zebra mussels were found on any
other samplers during the 2001 monitoring period. Analysis of the plankton
samples for the presence of veligers has not been completed. The Service
and tribes monitor the waters for zebra mussels as part of an ongoing effort
to prevent to prevent infestation of zebra mussels in Chequamegon Bay,
Lake Superior, and to prevent or delay the spread of zebra mussels in outlying
waters to Chequamegon Bay. Resource Outputs: Output: Monitor for the presence
of zebra mussels in Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior. If detected, decide
on the best course of action to prevent spreading. Take steps to prevent
a future infestation from occurring. Outcome: Attempt to prevent an infestation
of zebra mussels in Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior, and prevent or delay
the spread of zebra mussels in outlying waters to Chequamegon Bay Partners:
Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, USGS, NPS, BIA, Bad River
and Red Cliff Depts. of Natural Resources, the City of Ashland, WI, and
Northern States Power Co.
Volunteer Sturgeon Monitoring Program
by Commercial Fishermen started in Western Basin of Lake Superior
The Ashland Fishery Resources
Office (FRO) has initiated a volunteer sturgeon monitoring program for
commercial fishermen
fishing near the Keneewaw Peninsula in the upper peninsula of Michigan
on Lake Superior. Three tribal fishermen have volunteered to tag and collect
data from sturgeon caught in their gill nets or trap nets. Two of the fishermen,
Joe Newago, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Neil Malmgren,
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC), are using gill nets and the Dakota
brothers, Dale and Brad, of the KBIC, are fishing with trap nets. Each
volunteer is given a "sturgeon kit", a tackle box that contains
a cloth tape measure, scissors, tag gun and yellow USFWS numbered floy
tags, camera, a mini-hack saw, pencils and scale envelopes that were developed
to record the data on. When a sturgeon is caught, total length and girth
measurements are taken, weighed if possible, then the sturgeon is tagged
at the base of the dorsal fin. A small piece of the pectoral fin is clipped
and saved in the scale envelope, which will be used for genetic work. A
picture of the fish is taken as a visual record and then released. If the
sturgeon is dead, the mini-hack saw is used to remove the pectoral fin
to be used for aging the specimen, along with all the data being recorded
as well. Along with the volunteers, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa Natural Resources Department is currently conducting their annual
lake trout assessments on Lake Superior, and a kit was supplied to the
tribe. Data collected from the tribe and volunteers will be entered into
a Lake Sturgeon Great Lakes Database that is currently being developed.
Partners: Ashland FRO Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Natural Resources Department,
Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Natural Resources Department,
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Natural Resources Department
Cooperative Project to Determine
Ruffe Predation on Lake Whitefish Eggs
Ashland FRO in cooperation with the Red Cliff
Tribal Natural Resources Department, two volunteer commercial fishermen,
Northland College, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have
initiated a study to determine if the invasive nuisance fish, Eurasian
ruffe are significantly preying on lake whitefish eggs in Lake Superior.
The Red Cliff tribe performs an annual assessment on the local whitefish
population to determine tribal harvest quotas. On November 13, the tribe
attached a 100 foot, 1.5-inch stretch mesh gill-net to their gang of whitefish
gill-nets in an attempt to catch ruffe in whitefish spawning grounds. The
gang was set on the bottom in 17-20 feet of water on the Madeline Island
reef, one of the Apostle Islands in northwest Wisconsin. The gang was fished
for one night, and no ruffe were captured. A total of 131 whitefish (30-40
percent females) were captured in the balance of the gang. Tom Fratt, tribal
fishery biologist, said that all female whitefish were ripe, but the water
temperature was warm. The collection attempt may have been early, and ruffe
may not have been keyed on the whitefish spawning. The tribe agreed to
include the ruffe gill net in their whitefish assessment again next year
(2002). Two commercial fishermen, Jack Pero and Martin Peterson, have also
volunteered to attach similar ruffe gill-nets to their whitefish gangs,
and this effort is currently in progress. Northland College will perform
the stomach analysis on any ruffe captured from whitefish spawning grounds.
Gill-netting was identified as a viable alternative capture method in lieu
of the disturbing effects of bottom trawling in whitefish spawning grounds.
Ashland FRO Assists With Native American
Conservation and Restoration Projects
The Service's Ashland
Fishery Resources Office (FRO) provides technical assistance on fish and
wildlife matters to 14
Native American tribes and associated conservation programs in Michigan,
Minnesota and Wisconsin. Yearly contact is made with natural resource directors
in order to assess wildlife technical and financial assistance needs. Partners
for Fish and Wildlife Program information was specifically provided this
year. We also provide project assistance to additional tribes throughout
the upper Midwest where needed. Presently, Ashland FRO is providing financial
and technical wildlife habitat assistance to four tribal wetland projects;
Lac du Flambeau (195 acres), Grand Portage (45 acres), Menominee (15 acres)
and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, or GLIFWC, (15 acres).
One tribal wetland/riparian project was completed this year, GLIFWC’’s
75-acre-1 mile riparian Spring Creek project. Wetland restoration technical
assistance is also being provided to the Red Cliff tribe in regards to
beaver pond and ephemeral wetland restoration. Prairie restoration technical
assistance was provided to the Prairie Island Indian Community. Planning
is presently underway for a 100-acre prairie restoration cooperative project
involving the Service, Prairie Island Indian Community and Circle of Flight.
In the past few years, Ashland FRO has completed upland and wetland restoration
projects with the Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin, Leach Lake Reservation, Fond
du Lac, White Earth, Red Cliff, Grand Portage, and Lac du Flambeau. Resource
Outputs: The Ashland FRO is responsible for fish and wildlife technical
assistance to 14 Native American Tribes and programs in Michigan, Minnesota
and Wisconsin. We also provide project assistance to additional tribes
throughout the upper Midwest where needed. Partners: Michigan: Keweenaw
Bay Indian Community, Lac Vieux Desert Band, Minnesota: Fond du Lac Reservation,
Grand Portage RTC, Bois Forte Reservation (Net Lake), Red Lake Band of
Chippewa Indians, 1854 Authority, Wisconsin: Bad River Band, Lac Courte
Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Red Cliff
Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, Sokaogon Chippewa Community(Mole
Lake), St. Croix Tribe, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission
(GLIFWC)
Chequamegon Bay Zebra Mussel Task
Force Increases Efforts for 2002
At a Jan. 30 meeting,
task force member Julie Van Stappen, NPS-Apostle Islands National Lakeshore,
volunteered to set
and monitor a total of nine adult zebra mussel sampling devices at island
park locations receiving high density boat traffic. This will increase
the 2002 effort to a total of 54 adult sampling devices in Chequamegon
Bay and outlying waters. The USFWS-Ashland FRO (25) and Bad River (14)
and Red Cliff (6) Tribal Natural Resource Departments will maintain their
current monitoring effort. Instead of veliger sampling with a plankton
net, task force member Mike Keniry, WDNR-Bayfield, volunteered to scuba
dive along the Ashland harbor docks in search of adult zebra mussels. If
found, Mike will collect the adults and deliver them to Dr. Mary Balsar,
University of Wisconsin-Superior, for analysis. Dr. Balsar has volunteered
to examine the gonads of discovered mussels for development. Developing
gonads would confirm that reproduction is occurring. In other deliberations,
task force members agreed that zebra mussel information packets should
be assembled and distributed to boat owners at marinas and boat launches
around Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands. Mike Keniry described Wisconsin''s
new regulation relating to zebra mussels. With regard to zebra mussels,
the new law states "A law enforcement officer may order a person to
do the following: Remove zebra mussels from a boat, boat trailer or boating
equipment before placing it in the Lower St. Croix River. Remove or not
place a boat, boat trailer or boating equipment in a navigable water if
the law enforcement officer has reason to believe that the boat, boat trailer
or boating equipment has zebra mussels attached." The Chequamegon
Bay Zebra Mussel Task Force is co-chaired by Gary Czypinski, USFWS-Ashland
FRO and Bill Mattes, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. Other
member organizations not previously mentioned include USGS-Lake Superior
Biological Station, City of Ashland Dept. of Public Works, and Xcel Energy
(formerly Northern States Power Co.). Offices Involved: R3-Ashland FRO
Resource Outputs:Output: Outline a work plan for 2002 to monitor for the
presence of zebra mussels in Chequamegon Bay and outlying waters, Lake
Superior. Outcome: Assess abundance, distribution, and size structure of
zebra mussels in Chequamegon Bay and outlying waters, Lake Superior, and
attempt to delay or prevent the spread of zebra mussels to inland waters
and Lake Superior waters outside of Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands.
Partners: Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Wisconsin Department
of Natural Resources, USGS-Lake Superior Biological Station, NPS-Apostle
Islands National Lakeshore, Bad River Tribal Natural Resources Department,
Red Cliff Tribal Natural Resources Department, City of Ashland Department
of Public Works, Xcel Energy.
Ongoing Ruffe Winter Diet Study
A common interest in the potential impact of ruffe
predation on lake whitefish eggs has sparked a partnership between Ashland
FRO, the Red Cliff Tribe, and Northland College. Working with the Red Cliff
Tribal Fisheries Dept. and two commercial fishermen, Ashland FRO attempted
to collect ruffe in the vicinity of whitefish spawning locations near the
Apostle Islands, Lake Superior. Northland College biology students under
the direction of Dr. Derek Ogle were to examine the stomach contents of
captured ruffe for the presence of whitefish eggs. However, due to adverse
weather and the short spawning window of lake whitefish, the collection
effort was low, and no ruffe were collected. Red Cliff tribal commercial
fishermen did capture ruffe outside the whitefish spawning locations in
late fall. In addition, Ashland FRO received several large ruffe caught
by anglers from Chequamegon Bay during February 2002. Dr. Ogle will perform
a diet analysis on these ruffe to identify winter food items. The ruffe
metabolism is not as efficient as yellow perch, and therefore, ruffe need
to feed more actively during the winter than native forage fish, but not
much is known about the winter diet of ruffe. This study will help to fill
a void in our knowledge of ruffe biology, identify possible food competition
threats to native fish, and maintain public awareness of the ruffe control
issue.Resource Outputs: Output: Identify winter diet components of the
nuisance fish, Eurasian ruffe, in the Apostle Islands waters and Chequamegon
Bay, Lake Superior, and maintain awareness of the potential impact that
ruffe could pose to native fish communities. Outcome: Identify potential
threats that the ruffe winter diet may pose to the native fish communities,
and increase public involvement and understanding in ruffe control. Partners:
Red Cliff Tribal Natural Resources Dept., Northland College, Wisconsin
Dept. of Natural Resources
Surveillance Verifies that Ruffe Control is
Working
Ashland, Alpena, and Lower Great
Lakes Fisheries Resource Offices, as well as the Ontario Ministry of Natural
Resources (OMNR) collaborated
on publishing the 10th annual Ruffe Surveillance Report. The report summarized
all dedicated and reported incidental ruffe surveillance completed in the
Great Lakes during 2001. The report also contained a chronological description
of ruffe expansion since surveillance began in 1991. The ruffe was the
first non-indigenous species to be officially declared a ""nuisance"" under
the Non-indigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990.
This designation authorized the formation of a control committee to draft
a control plan and recommend actions to delay or prevent the spread of
ruffe throughout the Great Lakes and inland lakes. Only one minor ruffe
expansion was detected in 2001. Last spring, OMNR captured a ruffe from
the north end of Thunder Bay Harbour, ON, the peripheral location of ruffe
on the north shore of Lake Superior. This discovery represented a range
expansion of 8 km within the harbor. The good news for ruffe control efforts
in 2001 did not stop here. No ruffe were captured from Lake Huron, which
includes the one known ruffe colony near Alpena, Mich. Ruffe abundance
in the Ontonagon River, Mich., a peripheral location of ruffe on the south
shore of Lake Superior, continued to increase. However, despite an increasing
ruffe presence in the Ontonagon River, no ruffe were detected east of this
location. Total reported surveillance effort during 2001, both dedicated
and incidental, consisted of 49 hours bottom trawling, 5,449 trapnights,
16 nights gillnetting, 61 seine hauls, .0.8 hours and 2,099 meters electrofishing;
this effort resulted in a total catch of 10,072 ruffe, within their known
range, plus one ruffe captured in a new location. No ruffe have been found
in Lake''s Erie or Ontario. No ruffe have been found in waters unconnected
to the Great Lakes. Other contributors to the 2001 ruffe surveillance report
included Marquette Biological Station-Sea Lamprey Control, USGS-BRD Lake
Superior Biological Station, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Bay Mills Indian
Community, Red Cliff Band of Chippewa Indians, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, University
of Notre Dame and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.Offices
Involved: R3-Alpena FRO R3-Ashland FRO R5-Lower Great Lakes FROResource
Outputs: Output: Publish an annual report describing surveillance activities
and the current range for the nuisance fish, Eurasian ruffe and also describe
the fish community at each location surveyed. Outcome: Current range of
ruffe was defined and managers were alerted to the likelihood of future
expansion. Most prominent members of the forage fish community were identified.
Partners: Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, USGS-BRD, Great Lakes
States Departments of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Sea Grant Network,
Several Great Lakes Tribal Natural Resource Departments
Winter Diet of Chequamegon Bay Ruffe Identified,
Will Help to Better Understand Invasive Species
Northland College biology students under the direction
of Dr. Derek H. Ogle identified the stomach contents of seven large adult
ruffe caught by anglers through the ice in Chequamegon Bay and a Red Cliff
tribal commercial fisherman operating off the Bayfield Peninsula, Lake
Superior waters. The major diet components were macrobenthic and consisted
primarily of scuds (Amphipoda) and larvae from midge flies (chironomidae).
This is the first information relating to the winter diet of Eurasian ruffe
in North America. In the St. Louis River Estuary, 110 km east of Chequamegon
Bay, USGS technician Lori Evrard identified chironomids, amphipods and
fingernail clams (Pelecypoda) as the major diet components of spring and
fall large adult ruffe there. Overall, chironomids seem to be the preferred
diet item of large adult ruffe year round. The anglers caught their ruffe
using small minnows and waxies (fly larvae) for bait. Ruffe are opportunistic
feeders and if the availability of chironomids was limited, hypothetically
it is likely that ruffe would just transition to a different benthic component.
This was a cooperative study between Ashland FRO, Northland College, and
the Red Cliff Tribal Natural Resources Dept.
Tribal Partnership Sparkles as Whittlesey
Creek National Wildlife Refuge Receives NAWCA Grant
On Sept. 10, 2002, the Migratory Bird Conservation
Commission approved a $999,800 grant under the North American Wetland Conservation
Act (NAWCA). The NAWCA Grants Program requires, at a minimum, the grant
amount to be matched with non-federal contributions typically made by state,
tribal and other non-governmental partnerships. The grant will be applied
to a project called Superior Coastal Wetland Initiative, Phase II. The
project is in the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint
Venture. The acquisition and restoration of wildlife habitats associated
with this proposal will advance the goals identified in the North American
Waterfowl Management Plan and the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes
Region Joint Venture Implementation Plan. Below are a few details regarding
the approved project. Superior Coastal Wetland Initiative, Phase II, Wisconsin
- This effort will focus on four counties in northern Wisconsin. The proposal
will protect and restore habitats within known migration corridors and
nine miles of coastal shoreline and wetlands. Approximately 1,814 acres
of wetlands and 3,357 acres of uplands will receive long-term protection.
Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge will receive a portion of the
grant ($20,000) to assist with restoring 13 acres of wetlands within the
refuge boundaries. Other partners involved with this proposal are the Bad
River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, The Nature Conservancy, Ashland/Bayfield/Douglas/Iron
Counties Land Conservation Department and Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa. The grant amount is for $ 999,800 and the partners contributed
$1,350,058; the grantee is Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Offices
Involved: R3-Joint Venture R3-Whittlesey Creek NWR Resource Outputs: The
acquisition and restoration of wildlife habitats associated with this proposal
will advance the goals identified in the North American Waterfowl Management
Plan and the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Region Joint Venture
Implementation Plan. The proposal will protect and restore habitats within
known migration corridors and nine miles of coastal shoreline and wetlands.
Approximately 1,814 acres of wetlands and 3,357 acres of uplands will receive
long-term protection. Partners: Other partners involved with this proposal
are the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, The Nature Conservancy,
Ashland/Bayfield/Douglas/Iron Counties Land Conservation Department and
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
Unique Partnering Event Stocks Coaster Brook
Trout at Isle Royale National Park
This successful stocking event was a joint effort
of the Iron River National Fish Hatchery, Genoa National Fish Hatchery,
Isle Royale National Park staff and vessel, Red Cliff Tribal Hatchery,
Region 3 External Affairs and the Ashland Fishery Resource Office. Approximately
50,000 coaster brook trout fingerlings were stocked at three sites on Sept.
24, 2002, to restore remnant brook trout populations at Isle Royale, Michigan.
These coasters were raised at the Genoa and Iron River National Fish Hatcheries
from gametes collected at Isle Royale. Approximately 50,000 fingerlings
from the Iron River hatchery were stocked in Siskiwit Bay, at Hay Point
and Senter Point, and a total of 500 fingerlings from the Genoa hatchery
were stocked in Rock Harbor. The fish reared at Genoa hatchery were returned
to natal waters per the agreement for coaster brook trout broodstock development.
The fingerlings from Genoa hatchery were loaded onto a stocking tank late
in the afternoon of the 23rd and then trucked to Iron River hatchery. These
fish waited until later that evening when the crew loaded the remaining
fingerling into stocking tanks, one of which was borrowed from the Red
Cliff Tribal Hatchery. At approximately 1:30 a.m. on the morning of Sept.
24, the trucks departed to Houghton, Mich. Dawn saw the three trucks pulling
into the dock at Houghton. There, the five stocking tanks were loaded onto
the National Park Service's M/V Ranger III, a 165' vessel that is used
to transport freight and passengers to Isle Royale. The Ranger III and
her crew deviated from their usual route and headed to Siskiwit Bay for
the stocking of the 50,000 fingerlings. This allowed the brook trout to
be stocked after a five and a half hour boat trip. The fingerlings were
stocked off the bow of the Ranger III, a first for this stocking event.
Things went smoothly, and after stocking at the two points, the Ranger
III proceeded to Mott Island to dock and off load the remaining 500 fingerlings.
This stocking program is working towards meeting the goals of rehabilitating
the Siskiwit Bay population of coaster brook trout as outlined in the Brook
Trout Rehabilitation Plan for Lake Superior (Newman, et al. 1999). The
primary goal is to rehabilitate the Siskiwit Bay coaster brook trout to
ensure its long term sustainability through the presence of six or more
age groups (0-5) and a spawning population exhibiting sufficient densities,
ensuring a viable gene pool. Crews from the Ashland Fisheries Resource
Office have been conducting annual electro-fishing surveys in the Siskiwit
Bay area to assess stocking efforts.Partners: Genoa NFH, Red Cliff Tribal
Hatchery, Iron River NFH, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Ashland
FRO, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Isle Royale National Park
